The Killer Control Center Cannot Automatically Update

If the installer cannot automatically update, you might see an error, such as, but not limited to, this one:

In this case, you will need to manually uninstall the previous versions. First, however, you will want to download the latest installer and have it handy. Once you have the installer ready to go, right-click Start, click Apps and Features, then find every entry that has "Killer" in it, including "Killer Drivers" and/or "Killer Performance Suite, or any variation, and uninstall them. After they have uninstalled, restart your machine, then install the latest suite.

Previous Killer Applications or Drivers Cannot Be UninstalledORThere Are No Killer Applications or Drivers in The Apps and Features Menu But the Killer Control Center Will Not Install

If you encounter an issue where the old "Killer Suite" or "Killer Drivers" cannot be uninstalled, and they remain stuck in your Apps and Features menu, or they appear to be removed, but the latest Killer Control Center appears to attempt to install, then roll back, then there are a few ways to address this. Even if you can no longer see the old applications in your Apps and Features menu, it is very likely that they are still there, and that they are the problem. For very old previous installs, especially those that may be broken by updates from Windows 7 to Windows 10, we have developed a tool that can remove the old installs. Here is a step-by-step guide on downloading and using the tool. Use this as your first step in troubleshooting a broken older install:

Uninstall all "Killer" suites and drivers that will uninstall from this menu.

Close the Apps and Features menu and double-click the Killer Remover.

Once it is finished, it will prompt you to restart your machine. Restart your machine, and check to see if the stuck item is removed from the Apps and Features menu

The Application is Still Stuck or The Latest Package Still Cannot Install After I Have Run the Killer Remover

The Microsoft Installer is probably encountering an error from which it cannot recover. Sometimes, you will get an error, such as "The feature you are trying to use is on a network resource that is unavailable..." or some other seemingly unrelated error, or the installer may fail with no error given other than it could not complete. Luckily, Microsoft has a tool to fix this issue, and you can find our detailed, step-by-step guide on how to find and use Microsoft's tool for fixing problems that block programs from being installed or removed- http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/kb/faq/34-error-2753-xtendsoftapservice. Make sure you choose "Uninstalling" even if you are trying to ultimately install the latest suite, as the problem is that you need to remove the remaining parts of the old software, even if they do not appear in your Apps and Features menu.

If you still have issues with the Killer Control Center's installer, or uninstalling older versions of the suites, please contact support, and we will be happy to help. If the installer is failing, please run the installer one more time, and include the log that is generated in your temp folder. You can access your temp folder by pressing Windows Key + R, typing %TEMP%...

...and pressing Enter.

From there, sort by Date, and attach the most recent MSI***.LOG to your support request. It should be dated at the time you last ran the installer.

You can reach support by clicking below. Please also include information on any troubleshooting that you have already done.

The Killer Network Manager is our outgoing performance suite. It is no longer being updated, and does not contain the latest Ethernet or Wi-Fi drivers. We encourage all users of the Killer Wireless-AC 1525/1535/1435, Killer Wireless-N 1202/1103, Killer E2200, Killer E2400, and Killer E2500 to upgrade to the Killer Control Center, found here - http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/item/killer-control-center-x64. This includes users whose machines came with the Killer Network Manager preinstalled. There is no need to continue using the Killer Network Manager.

For a smooth installation, download the latest Killer Control Center installation package, then uninstall all Killer products from your Apps and Features menu, which is accessible by right-clicking Start, then restart your computer, and double-click the new installation package to install the new Killer Control Center.

The installer will automatically detect and install on any 64-bit version of Windows 7, 8.1, and Windows 10.

If you are using an older version of our suite, such as the Killer Network Manager, or you have not updated your network adapter drivers since your last Windows feature update (for example: Anniversary Update, Creator’s Update), then we suggest downloading the Killer Control Center, but uninstalling any application with the "Killer" name from your Apps and Features menu (accessible by right-clicking Start) and restarting your machine before installing the Killer Control Center.

Updating or Installing The Killer Network Manager

The Killer Network Manager is our outgoing performance suite. It is no longer being updated, and does not contain the latest Ethernet or Wi-Fi drivers. We encourage all users of the Killer Wireless-AC 1525/1535/1435, Killer Wireless-N 1202/1103, Killer E2200, Killer E2400, and Killer E2500 to upgrade to the Killer Control Center, found here - http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/item/killer-control-center-x64. This includes users whose machines came with the Killer Network Manager preinstalled. There is no need to continue using the Killer Network Manager.

For a smooth installation, download the latest Killer Control Center installation package, then uninstall all Killer products from your Apps and Features menu, which is accessible by right-clicking Start, then restart your computer, and double-click the new installation package to install the new Killer Control Center.

Ad-Hoc and Hotspot Functionality with Killer Adapters in Windows 10

You may wish to create an Ad-Hoc or Hotspot network with your Killer Adapter on your Windows 10 machine.

With Windows 10, all Ad-Hoc and Hotspot functionality has been officially moved away from the drivers, and into the operating system itself.

If you would like to create a Hotspot or Ad-Hoc network with Windows 10, you simply need to click Start, type Hotspot, and press Enter. All of the relevant settings for your Hotspot network will be on that page.

With Windows 10, this is the current official limit of Hotspot or Ad-Hoc functionality.

The Windows 10 version of our driver does not support the "Hosted Network" feature because Microsoft's own WDI driver does not have support for this. Microsoft is having all wireless vendors move to the WDI model, thus this feature will not work on Windows 10 drivers until after (and if) Microsoft expands support for SoftAP/Wi-Fi Direct.

In the meantime, if you need this feature back for certain older applications that made use of their own Hotspot or Ad-Hoc features, you can load the Windows 8.1 drivers via Device Manager from our INF download. We have verified that this works, and have had confirmation from other users as well.

However, we cannot guarantee that Windows Update will not automatically update these drivers, or that they will work flawlessly with Windows 10, as they are, after all, Windows 8.1 drivers. Use Windows 8.1 drivers in Windows 10 at your own risk.

Installing Drivers Using Device Manager

If you would like to install the Killer E2200, Killer E2400, Killer Wireless-N, or Killer Wireless-AC drivers without the Killer Performance Suite - you can do so using these steps. Note that this will disable all network prioritization features.

Extract the contens of the package to a location that you will remember.

If you currently have the performance suite installed, you will want to uninstall it first by right-clicking Start, then clicking Apps and Features. Then uninstall all "Killer" labeled applications in this window, including anything labeled "suite" or "driver," and restart your machine by clicking Start > Power > Restart.

Locate the Killer Network Adapter in your Device Manager. If it has a driver already installed by Windows, it will be located by its name under Network Adapters. If it has no driver installed, it will be named Ethernet Controller or Unknown Device, as in the screenshot below.

Some users may experience issues with their Killer Wi-Fi adapter not being able to detect certain specific Wi-Fi access points. Here are the things to check for:

If you are in Europe and the access point might be on the 2.4 GHz band, it may be using channels 12 or 13. If you have access to the settings on this access point, try changing the the channel to 1, 6, or 11. If not, try updating to the latest version of drivers, which should be able to make use of channels 12 and 13 in European countries - http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/item/killer-control-center-x64

Your router or modem may be using a DFS channel. DFS channels are 5 GHz channels that can be used by the public, but public devices receive a "leave the channel" command if official use is necessary. Although Killer Wi-Fi adapters ordinarily have no problem operating on DFS channels, if your laptop has been used in an area where the DFS channel was being used in an official capacity (such as an airport), it may have received the signal to stay off of that channel. For example, in the United States and some parts of Europe, DFS channels are 5 GHz channels 50-144. When troubleshooting a wireless network that does not appear for a specific device, these channels should be avoided in these areas. You can use the chart available on this Wiki page to quickly see which channels are available in your area of the world. We have also noted that some routers will automatically choose DFS channels even though they are not compatible with those same channels, and they must be manually set to a channel in order to not use them.

Your router or modem may need to be power cycled. All routers and modems rely on a very small amount of physical resources and, eventually, those resources will hang, making it necessary to restart them from time to time. The fastest and simplest way to do this is to unplug the device for ten seconds, then plug it back in. This can help even if only one device is having problems with the access point.

Your computer may need to be restarted. Restart your computer by clicking Start > Power > Restart. Note that pressing the power button on most modern computers activates sleep mode - it does not shut them down. In order for your computer to reboot, you must either click Shut Down or Restart.

You may be too far away from the wireless access point. Wireless signals rely on line of sight and, as such, each individual solid object between your device and the access point diminishes the signal. A single wall may contain multiple solid objects. A floor contains concrete subflooring, wood framing, piping, and various other solid objects. If at all possible, make sure you can connect with another device before assuming any one device is faulty.

There may be interference. 2.4 GHz routers in crowded apartment complexes are especially susceptible to this. You can use the KIller Control Center's Wi-Fi Analyzer to see how many people are sharing your current channel. If too many people are on the same channel as you, it may not be possible to connect to your own access point from too far away. Setting your sideband, or side channel, to 20 MHz can help mitigate this, as the smaller ths sideband, the stronger the signal.

Your wireless profile may have become corrupted. If you have connected to this access point before, but it is no longer visible, you may need to delete the connection's profile and reconnect. Here are the steps:

Click the rectangular "Connect" button, where you would normally click to connect to a wireless network, on the bottom, right-hand side of your screen.

Click Network and Internet Settings.

Click Wi-Fi on the left, if it is not already selected.

Click Manage Known Networks

Click the network that you are not able to detect.

Click the Forget button.

Close the Settings window, and connect like normal. If the access point still does not appear, try restarting your machine by clicking Start > Power > Restart.

Router or Modem Issues With Killer 1535

This article is intended to cover all issues that affect any access point, be it a router or modem, that occur when the Killer Wireless-AC 1535 connects or is connected.

The 1535 is a cutting edge Wireless-AC device with MU-MIMO and Transmit Beamforming technology and, as such, not all access points have firmware already installed that is able to handle the connection. Problems that some of our users have reported include:

Access point restarts or crashes upon connection, requiring restart

Access point restarts or crashes after being connected for some time, requiring restart

In this case, you are connecting to a device, such as a router, that you own, which is then connected to another device, such as a modem, which is owned by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). If the device in question is a modem, please be sure that, even if you own the device, your ISP supports any firmware that you flash onto the modem. Most ISPs maintain a list of accepted firmware versions for each device online.

In many such situations, you can update the firmware of your device to resolve this issue. You should first try to update the firmware through the router's interface, if possible. If that is not a feature of that router, or if that does not solve the issue, check for the latest firmware from the official support page of your router. If the problem is still not resolved, then see if your router is listed below. Listed below are the routers whose model numbers that we are aware of have issues, along with the location of the updated firmware that the router manufacturer has made available to address the issue:

Netgear WNDR5400 v3 - - Support rep PMing individuals beta firmware on a user-by-user basis. We are unaware of this particular version of the firmware being hosted openly anywhere.

If you own a different model than the one listed above, and updating to the latest firmware that is available from the support page of your router's manufacturer, we suggest contacting the support for your router, we suggest first updating to the latest Killer Control Center, found here - http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/item/killer-control-center-x64. If that does not solve the issue, the next step would be to contact the support for your device and advise them of the steps that you have taken, and ask if they have a beta firmware available. At the same time, please contact our support, as well, using this form - http://www.killernetworking.com/about/contact.

The Access Point is Owned By Your ISP

In this case, it is very possible that the device is running a very old firmware version. Most ISPs only update the firmware at the customer's request, or when it is absolutely necessary in order for the device to continue working on their network, and many ISPs use very old equipment. If you are connecting directly to an ISP owned device, and you are experiencing these issues, then your best bet would be to contact your ISP's support, and request that they update the firmware on the modem. This is usually a simple thing for them to do. If you are unable to resolve this by asking your ISP to update the firmware on the device, please let us know by contacting us here - http://www.killernetworking.com/about/contact - so that we may document the model of the access point that is not fully compatible with our device. In most cases, however, it is due to the age of the device, and a bug in its firmware. If asked, your ISP may be willing to change you to a different model of access point. You might also be able to provide your own access point (sometimes saving a monthly rental fee in the process), or buy your own router to plug into their modem, then use your router as the access point. If you decide to buy your own modem, most ISPs maintain a list of modems that work with their service. If you use multiple devices at the same time on the same access point, there is a good chance that you will see a boost in performance on all devices by providing your own modem.

Addressing the Isssue with Drivers

There are some discussion threads where we have commented, linking to specific drivers on our site, where those drivers have now been moved, causing 404 errors, or redirections to this page. Those drivers were links to .INF drivers that could be installed using the Device Manager, to address specific access points crashing when the 1535 would connect to them. These posts and links were created before we had driver-only installers hosted on our website, and were generally just the latest driver-only file that we had available at that moment, as the problem was believed to be cause by the performance suite at the time. You can now download the latest driver-only installer here - http://www.killernetworking.com/driver-downloads/category/other-downloads. However, this will not always solve the issue, as the issue is sometimes not the performance suite, but that of buggy firmware with the access point. If you wish to try and address the issue by using a driver-only install, you will need to download the driver-only installer, then uninstall all "Killer" entries in your Programs and Features menu, restart your machine, then install the driver-only package. This will remove all Killer network management capability.

We have had some reports of users who were only able to keep their routers stable with only one very specific driver version - usually some Windows 8.1 driver used on a Windows 10 machine. In those cases, we will do our best to locate a copy of that specific version for you but, unfortunately for those cases, Windows Update will often update those drivers anyway, and that is completely out of our control. There are some guides out there on how to prevent Windows Update from updating your device drivers, but we have neither tested nor endorse any particular method of doing so, and we cannot say what the repercussions may be.

Buying and Installing Killer Network Adapters

Unfortunately, our current line of network adapters are currently only integrated into motherboards and laptops of various manufacturers and not sold as individual units. This is due to different regulatory and system calibration requirements. We apologize for the inconvenience.

You may find that our wireless adapters do show up online for sale from time to time. These are not authorized for resale by us, or any authorized manufacturer, but are being sold as components removed from other machines. Be sure to keep that in mind when purchasing. We can only support adapters that are obtained in this fashion in a very limited capacity.

Also note that many laptop manufacturers use hardware IDs to lock out non-authorized Wi-Fi adapters, so swapping in another adapter may not be as simple as it seems.

Some users have reported problems seeing Wi-Fi access points that are using channels 12 or 13. This is a driver issue that will be corrected in later versions. In the meantime, there is a fairly simple registry tweak, which you can perform, that will enable your machine to see these channels. Note that this method has only been tested in Windows 10. If you have success using this method in Windows 7 or 8.1, please reach out to us at the contact information below and let us know!

Click Start

Type regedit and press Enter

Copy the following, and paste it into the bar beneath File, Edit, View, Favorite, Help:

Then press Enter. It should jump to a point in the registry that looks like the below picture.

Each numbered folder within corresponds with a device on your machine. Unfortunately, from here, it's complete guesswork as to which folder equals which device. Fortunately, it's pretty obvious as you click on each folder. For instance, 0006 is my Killer 1525, as you can see in screenshot. If in doubt, look for the "DriverDesc" entry. They're in alphabetical order. But, again, it should be pretty obvious. If you see it talking about Bluetooth, it's the wrong one. Once you find it, you know where the registry portion for your Killer adapter is hiding.

On the right pane of the registry editor, find the entry marked "AddNewChannelfor11d". This is our holy grail of channels 12 and 13. It is currently set to a value of 0. Double-click it. Change the value to 1, and click the OK button.

Click File then Exit

You have now activated the adapter's ability to see channels 12 and 13.